Today's Burning Question! Six Flags or Cedar Fair?

[robbalvey]

Today's Burning Question! Six Flags or Cedar Fair?

Which do you prefer and why?

 

Post your answer below! When we get 100 responses, we'll give away some crap!

 

POST YOUR COMMENTS

Edited October 25, 2013 by robbalvey

[rcjp]

I haven't been to that many parks of each, but I would say Six Flags as their rides generally look more appealing to me. Cedar Fair is also great, though.

[Mr Stratosphere]

As of late I will be siding with Cedar Fair, it's amazing how much detail they are paying attention at Knott's for the small details. Operationally it is amazing that Cedar Point can push millions of riders through their rides and they aren't open the entire year or even weekends only like some of the Six Flags Parks. It's amazing that a coaster like Millennium Force can be running 3 trains without stacking and still have a 2 hour wait. I also feel that Cedar Fair has prettier parks, with that said my favorite Six Flags park is Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, I feel like it's a well rounded park.

[tooooobbe]

I have not been to any park owned by any of the companies. Allthough the Cedar Fair parks seems more appealing to me.

[cfc]

A few years ago, I might've leaned toward Six Flags, when they were on their big "improvement" binge. However, I have to give the nod to Cedar Fair now. They really seem to be trying harder to make their parks more appealing, and finally adding Fast Lane to match Flash Pass was a big improvement.

Edited October 24, 2013 by cfc

[dhubbuch]

Cedar Fair. Two reasons:

1) Live 30 minutes from Kings Island

2) Cedar Point

[Zem]

I'd lean more towards Cedar Fair out of the two.

[TyRush]

I too give the nod to Cedar Fair. Every time i visit a Cedar Fair park it hasnt been any let down. They always have rides up and running, great staff, great operations, and an overall more fun environment. And i aslo love how all their new big coaster additions of late, the Intimidators, Leviathan, Gatekeeper, Banshee all incorperate a new "area" or plaza area and areant just thrown in. They take the time to make it look stellar and breath taking.

Six Flags seems to be going down hill for some reason. With lacking operations and no sense of urgency to please guests so to speak. Id take Cedar Fair any day!

[frozenflames]

I would probably have to go with Cedar Fair. I haven't been to many Six Flags parks (America and Great Adventure), nor Cedar Fair (just Kings Dominion and Dorney), but the CF parks just leave me with an impression of being better run, with the majority of coasters actually being re-rideable, and everything being cleaner *cough-thousands of trash cans-cough* in the parks.

[Stuff513]

I too have to go with Cedar Fair. I really like the direction the company is taking under its new leadership, I really look forward to their plans for the parks over the coming year.

 

That being said, I did recently have a very nice trip to Six Flags Over Texas recently but still give the nod to Cedar Fair.

[SFOGdude25]

I'm going with Cedar Fair. Overall, they seem to have a better infrastructure of business and park upkeep over the whole chain. Every Cedar Fair park I've been to has been pretty well kept, and all have done a decent job with ride maintenance. I like how they appeal to families instead of just thrillseekers. Also, now that Matt Ouimet is leading the charge, things are improving very much now compared to a few years back with Kinzel.

Six Flags has its good parks and bad parks. Overall they just seem inconsistent with park upkeep, staff friendliness, ride maintenance etc. across the chain. Also, I can't stand the in-your-face advertisements all across their parks. They seem to ruin any sort of charm the parks (especially the originals like SFOG and SFOT) once had, but since Six Flags is the epitome of corporate chains, I guess that's passable.

[Yamez]

I too am going to jump on the Cedar Fair bandwagon. I've only been to two Six Flags parks (the now deceased Six Flags Ohio and Six Flags America) but when I compare those few visits to my time spent at Cedar Fair parks, there really doesn't seem to be much to praise Six Flags on. That said, I still want to go to a few Six Flags parks to ride some of their more intense rides (Bizzaro, NTAG, IRAT, El Toro, etc).

[appleboy007]

I would have to say Cedar Fair hands down. I happen to live driving distance from a cedar fair park (Knott's Berry Farm) and a Six Flags park (Magic Mountain). Although, Knott's may not have the menagerie of roller coasters that Magic Mountain has. They seem to have really shifted their focus to guest service. Furthermore, when Cedar Fair does add a coaster it's pretty amazing. As for other Cedar Fair parks, they too are amazing. I've had the pleasure of visiting Kings Island, Kings Dominion, and the "Grand Daddy" of them all... Cedar Point. It's a stunning example of what a theme park can do, when they focus on the guest experience and satisfaction. As opposed to simply plunking down a new ride hoping to be the park with the most coasters on the planet. When will they learn quality over quantity. Way to go Cedar Fair. With that said... Please, bless Knott's with an AMAZING new and original mega coaster. We have been patient... Haven't we? It looks as though I had a fair bit to say today.

[DirkFunk]

Cedar Fair has 4 parks in a 5 hour radius of my house. Six Flags has 1. So Cedar Fair.

[johnychen]

Having gone to most of the parks in both chains I will have to go with Cedar Fair.

 

Their operations are better than Six Flags and I love their Fast Lane system over Flash Pass.

[Wes]

Cedar Fair because Six Flags is Six Flags.

[aCoasterStory]

Cedar Fair, hands down. While I have really enjoyed my time at some of the Six Flags parks, I have just generally found that Cedar Fair does most things better. The parks are cleaner, the staffs are friendlier, the rides are better maintained, and the ride selection tends to be a little more unique to each park.

 

I've had some miserable experiences at Six Flags parks, but I've been trying to think and I don't think I've experienced a truly awful day at a Cedar Fair park--usually it's been the exact opposite.

 

(This is from having been to all of the parks from both companies at some point in the last two seasons except CGA, SFDK, and SFM.)

[dippindotsguy8]

I would go with Cedar Fair. I have found that, as others have eluded to, Six Flags seems to be really inconsistent from park to park when it comes to service and operations. I also feel like I've seen less run-down looking Cedar Fair parks than Six Flags parks.

 

While Six Flags seems to have been putting in more coasters, they seem to forget about the rest of the amusement park experience, and that's something that Cedar Fair is better at providing.

[yankeeman311]

I've only been to 1 park in each chain recently (went to SFOG and TGE 10 years ago) but arguably both are the best in their chains (GAdv, CP). Right now I give the edge to Six Flags for a couple reasons. I think they're a better deal $ wise especially for season passes, their lunch prices are actually cheaper from what I saw and GAdv let me re-ride coasters that had empty rows and CP didn't. I think CP is a better park than GAdv but I think I have to give an edge to Six Flags chain wise.

[dannyboy13]

Having only been to 2 parks from each chain (CGA and Knott's, and SFDK and SFMM), I much prefer Six Flags. For what my son and I look for from a park, both Six Flags provide a better experience. We're thrill ride nuts, and both SF parks offer better options for us than their immediate local CF competitor.

[IronWolfman]

I've been to 2 Six Flags parks and 0 Cedar Fair parks. The SF parks I've been to were some of the nicer ones (SFGAm and SFNE) but I have only a few SF parks in my bucket list while I want to visit most Cedar Fair parks. I wouldn't turn down a park from either company if I got the chance though. Overall I guess I'm undecided.

[Rollercoaster Rider]

Just going by this year, Here's what I found:

 

Six Flags

CON- Some Flash Pass rides only allow rides for a certain time and not the whole day

CON- Major rides taking WAY to long to open (Shock Wave at SFOT, Orbit at SFGAm, Boomerang at SFStL)

PRO- Adding something new to every park for 2014 (Michigan's Adventure, California's Great America is left in the cold for 2014)

PRO- Trying to turn current coasters into new coasters by turning the coasters backwards (Batman, Viper, Canyon Blaster, Mr. Freeze)

PRO- Creative Announcement Videos

CON- Really Generic Park Souvenirs

PRO- Story: At SFGAdv I was ready to go to the park to ride Nitro but the park was going to close an hour earlier than the website said, But still let me in the park and on Nitro as well as letting me get in the test seat after the park closed.

 

 

Cedar Fair

PRO- Lower pricing than some Six Flags Parks

PRO- Fixing rides much faster than Six Flags (Vortex at Carowind's for example)

CON- Can't maintain a wooden coaster to save their lives (I'm talking about wooden track/supports missing chunks of wood)

CON- Horrible Cedar Point video (Makes some people want to kill themselves)

PRO- Really Good Park Souvenirs

CON- Non Electric Fast Lane or whatever their term is

 

 

But I think we can agree they are having a better year than SeaWorld/Busch Parks are.

 

And everyone, both companies have mediocre parks: Six Flags has Great America, Over Texas, and Magic Mountain but they also have Six Flags America and Great Escape. Cedar Fair has Kings Island, Canada's Wonderland, and Cedar Point but also has Michigan's Adventure and to a degree Worlds Of Fun.

[johnnyknottsville]

I guess I'll be the odd ball and go with Six Flags, I've been to every CF park in the chain except for MA and Canada's Wonderland and the only one I have any desire to go back to is Cedar Point. I've never had these horrendous experiences at SF flags parks that it seam like so many around here have and I'll gladly take SFGADv, SFGAm, SFOG and SFMM any day over the majority of CF parks except for Cedar Point is just amazing IMO.

[Coasterposter41]

I have to go with Cedar Fair. I don't live by a Six Flags park and they do have their pros and cons but Cedar fair is so much better when it comes to adding new coaster. Both Full Throttle(2013 at Magic Mountain) and Goliath(2014 at Great America) are short rides. They both may be big and cool but the length of the ride is poor. They have so much more potential but are cut short. Cedar Fair on the other hand does the opposite. Gatekeeper is a phenomenal ride and Banshee will be too. Both of the coasters exceed 4,000ft of track and aren't much slower than Full Throttle and Goliath. Cedar Fair also does a better job with taking care of its guests. Kings Island is incredibly clean and is well kept, while some Six Flags parks don't reach the mark. Cedar Fair is also very close with B&M and their coasters are so much more reliable, even though RMC makes great rides for Six Flags they have problems and require more work while B&M is more expensive their overall quality is better which makes Cedar Fair parks more efficient.

[Vtafro]

Only missing Mexico, and Discovery Kingdom, for SF and haven't been to CGA, ValleyFair!, and Worlds of Fun for CF. Would probably lean towards Cedar Fair, knotts > SFMM for WCB and Cedar Point is still very awesome.